Washington Redskins to hire Jay Gruden as new head coach

The Redskins hope Jay Gruden can turn their franchise around (Photo: ESPN)

The Washington Redskins have found their new man.

He’ll be officially announced at a 4:00 PM press conference Thursday, but it’s as true now as it will be then: Jay Gruden will be the next head coach of the Washington Redskins.

Gruden was formerly the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, who improved offensively in each of his three seasons with the team, moving from 18th to 12th to 6th in points per game, and this year finished 10th in total yards per game. They were ranked first overall in points per drive. Despite these stats, some still have questions about Gruden’s scheme, since the Bengals have averaged only 11 points in the playoffs during Gruden’s tenure. However, he is credited for the development of QB Andy Dalton.

Gruden worked for as an assistant under Bruce Allen, the Redskins’ GM, for five seasons in Tampa Bay, and is the brother of Super Bowl winning coach Jon Gruden. He also won two Arena League titles in 1998 and 2000 as coach of the Orlando Predators, and reached the UFL title game as head coach of the Florida Tuskers in 2010, his only season in the UFL.

In college, Gruden played quarterback at the University of Louisville, and ranks 4th all time in Louisville history with 7,024 passing yards and 44 touchdowns. He then went on to play in the Arena League and won the league MVP award in 1992 as a member of the Tampa Bay Storm. In 2012, he was named the 4th best player in Arena League history.

Gruden is expected to promote Redskins current TE coach Sean McVay to OC. The Redskins’ DC position is still up in the air, but current DB coach Raheem Morris is expected to get a long look, and it is possible that Gruden keeps current DC Jim Haslett on staff, especially since Haslett hired him as his OC while in the UFL.

Is this a good hire for the Redskins? Let us know in the comments below.